If Period Drama Characters had Internet Bios #4

LARK RISE TO CANDLEFORD

@Laura_Timmins Lark Rise girl on an adventure in Candleford. Love my Par and Mar, poetry, journalling and my boyfriend.
@DameDorcasLane Instagram is my one weakness.
@AlfArless Hard working lad looking for more work in order to feed siblings. Music is my escape.
@ThomasBrown Postman of Candleford! Married to my wife! Sunday is for Church!
@thatgirlMinnie not minnie mouse, minnie from candleford! int that ectraodaniry! alf sure is lovely but il be persisterance.
@CAROLINEArless HIII LIFE IS GOOD! Just keep smiling and don't WORRY about the bills! It'll fall into place somhow promise
@JournalistDanielParish I'm a journalist and I'm proud to call Candleford my new home.
@MissEllison married to Thomas Brown so now my name is Mrs Brown, not Miss Ellison. Yay!
@MrRobertTimmins I'm a carpenter. Huband. Pa. Proud Lark Rise-ian.
@EmmaTimmins_mama Mama to five lovely kiddos, wife to a darling rascal!
@TwisterTurril I try onest I do! But then I do love a good drink. and I play music. and the pig is mine!
@QUEENIE "What a person believes isn't what they think, isn't what they say, it's what they do." - Myself
@FisherBloom Irish watch-maker boy. There is more to life than it seems.
@Gabriel_Cochrane The past is sometimes hard to leave behind. Ringer of bells.
@PearlPratt ::: dressmaker and sister ::: frills and furbelows ::: writer of the poem 'fly little bird.'
@youngersisterRuby also a dressmaker and and a sister ::: family is is important! :::
@EdmundTimmins my ma doesn't know i'm online says i'm too young. But i'm not. i go to the pub.
@Sydney I'm Sydney and I wear glasses and I'm a very good actor.
@Jamesdowland own a hotel which is cool, but my heart is broken because someone refused me.
@LadyAdelade Wife // Mistress // Maybe one day a Mama? // Melancholy
@SirTimothyMidwinter hey remember that time when we wrote our initials on the tree. let's talk about that for the entire episodes the viewers will think it's so romantic.
@CinderellaDoe THE WIND DO BLOW
@thatboyfriendPhilip You know, the boyfriend in Season One.

GONE WITH THE WIND

@Queen_Scarlett Fiddle dee dee don't you go around messing with me. #rememberimthequeen
@Rhett_richButler Frank guy, extremely rich, not to mention intelligent. I generally get what I want in the end.
@Ashleywilkes Melanie is my wife. I love you! Scarlett I love you. Please look after her. God willing, I'll be back.
@Melanie_Wilkes Wife of my darling Ashley and Mother of the sweetest son in the world. The world is filled with wonderful people! There is good in everyone, especially @Queen_Scarlett!
@MrsEllen_OHara "When you do good deeds, do not try to show off" {Matthew 6:1}
@IRISHO'Hara Being Irish is great it means you can drive horses really fast! Owner of Tara
@MAMMY Some things jus aint fittin but people awe not gonna listen dey listen to the chile instead! jus aint fittin!
@Suellenthegreat I HATE MY SISTER SHE STOLE MY BEAU AND THEN SHE DIDN4T CARE WHEN HE DIED
@Careen_theyoungest // Rest in Peace, Brent Tarlenton // Isaiah 40:11 //
@BrentWoot Tarlenton Redhead, twin brother of Stuart, we're gonna have fun at the barbeQ right?
@StartWoot Tarlenton Redhead, twin brother of Brent, we're sure gonna have fun at the barbeQ
@official_account_of_TARA Account run by @Queen_Scarlett . Contact me for good deals .
@IndiaWilkes some people suck
@BonnieBlueButler Bonnie Blue is going to be the princess of the whole world (account run by her loving father)
@Belle_Watling am i good or bad you decide i dont care
@theservantgirlprissy i can help woman whos gonna have a baby! scared of the war!
@WillBenteen The war may be over, but we still all have duties to face. Let us go and face them with joy.

LES MISERABLES

@JeanValjean Look up. Help others. Number: 24601. Life advice: don't steal bread.
@Fantine I dreamed a dream and then I died. #cuttinghairdoesnthelp #sellingteethdoesnthelp #savecosette
@Sweet_Cosette I have a heart filled with love for @Mariusthepoet ! He is everything!
@Mariusthepoet I have a heart filled with love @Sweet_Cosette ! She makes my chairs and tables look less empty.
@Eponinegirl Pluviophile / Third wheeling forever. #onmyown
@The_Javert My name is Javert. I repeat: My name is Javert. Looking for 24601. Look down unless there are stars.
@ENJOLRAS_RED Duuude we can DO this! RED AND BLACK ARE COOL COLOURS. Specially red. #Yolo #noreallythisisserious
@Gavroche I love elephants. Yes @ENJOLRAS_RED we can do this! #Yolo
@Madamethenardier DARLING Eponine. Ugh Cosette. Mistress of the house. I collect gross things. Mwhaha.
@MonsieurThenardier MASTER OF THE HOUSE. That's ME!
@thebishop I have a very detailed house. The candles are pretty. Do good deeds!

Ugly Period Drama Dresses

My reaction to most of these:

Yes, there are some ugly Period Drama dresses, despite the fact that I seem to insist that 'every dress in this movie is AMAZING', and that, 'Gah I love her wardrobe.' I thought it would be fun to devote an entire post towards the bashing of those ugly dresses that either didn't flatter the character, looked completely comical rather than completely smashing, or just were downright ugly. Let's start - this ought to be fun. :-)

"What an ugly bonnet, Lydia. What possessed you to buy it?"

UGHHH, Cora's wardrobe isn't bad in general, but this dress is extremely unflattering, in my opinion. It highlights her figure in all the bad ways and the colours clash in all the bad ways as well. And then the gold? With the red? I don't like it. (Seriously, O'Brien is the better dressed one in this picture. When in doubt, stick to black - that's solid fashion advice.)

Suit yourself Anne, suit yourself, but I haven't the foggiest idea what you're so enraptured about. In the book, where you got an adorable double-puffed brown gloria dress, I can imagine it - fully imagine it. But in the Period Drama??? With the oversized collar, the Henry-the-Eighth-sleeves, and the unflattering milky blue - you look quite bad. (Please don't smash me over the head with th-- )

Ha. Ha. We alllll know what a fan I am of P&P05, right? (Sarcasm.) One of the reasons why I hate it is Caroline Bingley's Netherfield Ball "GOWN." I like to say that she forgot to put on her dress and that she's dancing around in her underwear because THAT IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. Look - spaghetti straps. She's got spaghetti straps. (I'm going. Bye. Bye guys.)

Yes, this is probably the prettiest dress in this post, but it isn't pretty. Edith's wardrobe in the later series is AMAZINGNESS (Edith looks stellar in 20's clothes), but some of her outfits - mainly this one - have disappointed me. It looks especially vile when she actually stands up in it and walks. It's like someone added some sickly orange old drapes over a clashing blue blouse. I'm not loving it.

Molly, I love you, I love you --- buuuut really? You in a watermelon-sleeved dress and slithery, slinky feathers in your hair? Stick to adorable attires, they flatter you so much more. Yes, you look elegant, but you also look a bit ridiculous. The sleeves. I mean - I know - it's the fashion. Buuuut - it's ugly.

I know these dresses are made to look the sisters ridiculous, but I couldn't not mention one of their absurd matching ensembles in this post! Their clothes are actually hilarious - always over-the-top, always matching, always interesting, always ridiculous. They do prove with their outfits that they're good at sewing though, which is the point, because they own a dress-shop.

HAHAHA. LET US ALL LAUGH. Seriously, Bright Star made me rather queasy because of the moany main character, the odd mushy romance and... YUCK THE COSTUMES. The girl (Abbie, I think?) is supposed to be a seamstress with a sense of creativity, but I think she's a seamstress with a sense of clownish-creation-ridiculous-laughing-stock-creativity. (Or whatever.) Basically, I think her entire wardrobe is dreadful. I mean... just LOOK AT THE COLLAR. (And look at this vile dress.) (AND THIS ONE.) (And this hat!) (I know, ewww.)

And last and probably also least - we have Scarlett's red 'dress.' With tule around the elbows, ostrich feathers tumbling dramatically from the shoulders and a Marylin Monroe-dress bodice. Yes. Haha. You'd find someone wearing this after the Civil War, wouldn't you? ;-P I LOVE most of Scarlett's dresses, even the ones that aren't historically accurate, but OH THIS ONE. It's dreadful! I do not like it, not one little bit. :-P

You might be in a Period Drama if...

... You had a cow, you would call it Bessie, and often add a 'dearest' at the end.

... The only reason you're scared to have kids is because your husband might die when he drives to tell your family the good news of the birth. Or, if you're male...

... The only reason you're scared to have kids is because your wife might die of childbirth all because your parents-in-law chose the wrong doctor.

... Mothers usually have nerves.

... You talk about the fine weather when awkward silences arise.

... You have many, many one weaknesses. (But 'food' is the most frequent one weakness.)

... If your cat swallowed lace, you would not only make him vomit it, but you'd wear it afterwards.

... Songs played in F-major are big, hooty jokes.

... Valets with a limp somehow remind you of endless prison visits.

... You think the best cardrivers are Irish.

... You once told Sparkler to be quiet when he said there was no nonsense about you.

... You wonder how you could exist without a piano. (Life would just be a blank to you.)

... You decide to start up a music club.

... Mauves are more becoming than blacks.

... You've always wanted a wooden coal shovel.

... The Wind Do Blow when it's Christmas time.

... The guy you don't like just happens to ask you - and nobody else but you - to dance at a ball, and you just have to, and then it's awkward.

... You've spotted exchanging notes with the previous love interest of your stepsister. (Plots are complicated.)

... You know someone who thinks puffed sleeves are so ridiculous because you have to turn sideways to go through the door.

... Using big words means that you've swallowed a dictionary.

... An old man once jilted you at the altar.

... Railways are romantic places.

... Romances always get second chances, and the second chance always works out perfectly well.

... You're engaged to someone you don't love.

... Your older sister will always be ten times prettier than you will ever be.

... You have a younger sister who walks about in the hallway without being properly dressed.

... Shells are strung up on strings.

... Engagements and Elephants are two very different things.

... You have a friend who can't figure out what love riddles mean. (Maybe Shipcourt? Is that a word?)

... Chicken thieves are annoying.

... You get told on your wedding that, "She is VEE-RR-EEE Beeauuutiful. Veerrreee Beautiful."
... You can't ride a bike, but you can ride a horse and that's pretty much the same, right?

(By the way, thank you SO SO much for all your lovely comments on my last post. The fact that you are excited for us makes us even MORE excited and gah, I love you alllll.)

Inkling Exploriations / Post Office

I really really like the Inkling Explorations for March. (For more information about this swell Inkling Exploration series go over to Heidi's blog and read Stuff About It.) The topic for March is, in fact, a scene with a Post Office - AND I LOVE POST OFFICES. 

Post Offices mean letters, newspapers, the smell of ink, the smell of paper, news, gossip, love, words, sentances, handwriting, inkblots, folded leaflets of paper, addresses, envelopes, brown packages, surprises - gah, I love it. While I'm everlastingly thankful for emails and blogging, I do love real hold-in-the-hand letters and packages the most. You can hold them, smell them, feel them, store them in boxes, cherish them, re-visit them with nostalgic thoughts. And again, while I'm supes thankful that we have lovely postmen who come and put letters and news and Amazon packages in a cool box in front of our houses - can we just stop and imagine what it would be like if we had to walk to a post office to get our news? If I lived in those days, I'm sure the post office would be like, my favourite place in town. Me and the post office people would be best friends.

Obviously, Lark Rise to Candleford is the first that comes to mind. :-) Dorcas Lane with her corsetted post-office-y outfits, her gloves, her stamps, letter boxes - Thomas and Laura organising packages - Minnie fooling around with a cleaning mop at the back... SQUEE I LOVE THAT POST OFFICE.

The problem is... I can't choose A scene. There are so many, and I can't think of one specific Post-Office favourite. But here's a nice one. (It's Daniel's Very First Appearance and Minnie asks a funny question and it's just Lark Rise to Candleford and I like it a lot. :-D)

"They say whatever you might need in a small town... head for the post office." - Daniel Parish

Lark Rise to Candleford - The Very Last Episode - Review - With Spoilers - Also With CAPS

MINNIE AND ALFIE ARE JUST UNBELIEVABLE. I THINK I WILL DIE BECAUSE OF THEM

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

WE FINISHED IT ALL AND OH THE LAST EPISODE HAD ME IN TEARS AND MORE TEARS AND IN LAUGHTER AND OHHH IT WAS PERFECT. I literally just finished it and my heart seems to be popping with fireworks. Also, I love Alfie more than EVER now. I just want to marry him. But then, I'm happy that Minnie's there - okay, we'll talk about that later.

So yes. A Review is in Order. (Obviously, it will be spilling over richly in a glorious abundance of spoilers. Because it's hard to NOT write a review-filled-with-spoilers when one is writing a review of the last episode of the last season.)

So firstly.

Mrs Arless is back! 

I know some of you cannot stand this lady, and I get that. But seriously, I MISSED her so baaaad. When she said, 'Come and hug your ma before I die of happiness' we all laughed because, hey, Lark Rise really wasn't the same without her.

And I REALLY hope she changed for the better. I desperately hope all will go well for the Arlesses from now on. (I know these characters are fictional but, ohhh, I'm worried for them.) It was sweet of her, though, to go and buy presents. "I didn't even go and spend a PENNY on myself! I'm not BAD!"

She made the episode jolly jolly.

Oh! I normally don't think Thomas and Margaret are that 'cute' (I really don't like the word 'cute' anyways) of a couple, but that scene where Thomas realises Margaret is pregnant really WAS adorable. Seriously, it actually made me cry. (But then I was crying all the way through, so maybe I was still crying from the scene before.)

"Oh, Thomas, just KISS me."

I think they'll have a girl and call her Amelia. And then the dog is simply Cordelia.

OHHHHHHHHH.

GABRIEL AND DORCAS. GABRIEL AND DORCAS. GABRIEL AND DORCAS.

Everything and EVERYTHING about that scene of theirs was perfect. From her 'I have many, many weaknesses' to his 'I want to love. And be loved. By you.' And then their kiss and their PERFECT HUG and then DORCAS' SMILE BECAUSE SHE FINALLY HAS SOMEONE.

Ohhhhhhhhhhh. I need MORE.

Oh, and when Minnie goes and makes her speech!!!

I loved that scene. "Oh it is so, is it?" "It is!" and "I ain't never seen such a three-legged girl!" (Poor Minnie. But the bike fall really was hysterically awesome.) And then she went, "Alfie can't even love a girl because his Ma is in his way! His house is his prison and you're his PRISONER!" And then Emma was like, "I think you mean jailer, Minnie."

YOU GO MINNIE. :-)

And now.... Are you ready? Caps ahead. And not just one sentence of them. Because we all know Naomi get's embarrassingly capsy when it comes to MINNIE AND ALFIE.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. THAT'S ALL.

AND THEN THE PROPOSAL.

THAT WAS SERIOUSLY THE BEST SCENE IN MY LIFE. I NEED TO RE SEE IT NOW.

Everything was perfect. From Sydney quickly taking the cabbage to the fanfare to Caroline quickly giving her ring to Alfie to give to Minnie even though her fingers are twice as big as Minnie's. AND THEN THE HUG AND THE SMILES AND THE KISSES.

The other scene earlier on, where Minnie goes, 'Will you propose?' and all that, made me soooooo have inner fireworks too. WHEN ALFIE SAYS, 'Husband?' OHHH I NEED TO SEE THEM HAVING BABIES AND A HOUSE TOGETHER. WHY DID THIS STOP HERE. I NEED A WEDDING!!!!!

*Naomi turns off all caps*

All in all, this episode WAS perfect.

I don't know how I will EVER sleep tonight. But I'll try. While squealing and turning on 'all caps' in my brain. Good night. AND OH let's start a petition for a series FIIIIVE. Because I need it so so SO badly right now.

And I have to remind you; I LOVE ALFIE.

Alfie + Minnie

I am so proud of this adorable asdfghjkllmmsdlgjdfvcfdklj-like video I made, that I just HAD to share it with you all. This couple is SO officially my favourite couple EVER. The cutest one, anyway. AH THEY ARE SO CUUUUTE. I seriously can't STOP smiling.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

(There are Season Three spoilers in it. But you already know the spoilers. They basically fall in love. Haha.)

Here's the video uploaded on Blogger - for the people who are plagued with those monstrous 'Copyright' issues:

In which I swoon over Scenery+Settings

I've done posts in which I've gushed nonsensically over dresses and frills. I've done about fifty of those, when it comes to that. (Well, sliiight exaggeration is allowed now and then.) I've done posts in which I've exclaimed in - oh horrors of horrors - capital letters my fondest love for certain fictional characters. (No, I did not mention Mr Knightley in every one of those posts. Hush.) I've talked about all kinda stuff. 

But I've never really gushed over that BEAUTIFUL scenery in those movies. And those often-ignored Settings. So I am to do so now.

Okay, before we talk about ANYTHING, I'm going to point out that Cinderella has the best inside settings ever. (I haven't seen this yet, but OH I KNOW IT.)

Now we can carry on.

The Sound of Music has THE most GORGEOUS Scenery EVER. Well, I never, and all that jazz. It's all so greeny blue and bluey green and free, free and melodious. It seems to chirp out music - GAH. The Sound of Music is such a pretty movie. Remember that scene where Maria sings about the Hills being Alive, and she goes and swings between the trees? That is SO pretty.

I love that the Sound of Music ends AND starts with mountains and grassy hills. And oh, the way the wind BLOWS on the grass and makes all those RIPPLES.

God really is the most amazing artist ever.

And also the gazebo scenes. Like, it's sooo gorgeous and romantic. With all the moonlight shining through the glass, and the garden all quiet around them. Also, all the inside scenes. I know it's easy to have beautiful interior settings when the movie is about a stinking rich Sea Captain with expensive dance floors, but STILL.

Ahh, you know the scene where they DAAANCE. The Laendler dance?!! That scene's BEAUTIFUL too. :-D

Yeah, I'm going to shut up.

BUT THIS MOVIE IS BEAUTIFUL. Just look. Those white-topped mountains looking so splendid and royal above all the green hills. I want to go on a hike now.

War Horse is not my favourite movie (1. Because it's too horsey. I'm not a huge horse fan. And 2. Because it's a War movie and War movies tend to make me upset.) BUT what I have always loved about War Horse, from the first time I watched it, was the scenery. Seriously, Albert's farm was situated in the prettiest place ever.

I still want to go and live there.

Lark Rise to Candleford has SUCH gorgeous scenery! All the yellow golidness of the fields, the lovely English countryside, the villages, the forest. I. NEED. TO. VISIT. THIS. PLACE. (Gah, wouldn't it be the coolest thing ever? To be able to visit all these filming areas. I'd love to visit Lark Rise and Candleford. Of course, I'd imagine all the characters to be there, but still. :-D)

Yeah, the scenery is gorgeous.

I love also that, after a while, because you see the scenery often (seeing as there are many episodes), that you soon recognise those trees and that path. I love this show like crazy.

We just finished episode five of Season three yesterday - I've witnessed some CRAZY Minnie-Alfie cuteness (shut up you two why are you so cute and please ughhhh ahh (!!!)) and I am becoming very good friends with Daniel, who I Really Like. :-)

Testament of Youth also has some Very Exclamation Point Worthy scenery. Let the pictures speak for themselves. (Besides I am very touchy when it comes to Testament of Youth. I'd rather not talk about it. One doesn't talk about Testament of Youth. One cries about it.)

*snifffff*

And of COURSE, Downton Abbey. The show with All the actors, All the plot lines, All the quotes and All the good scenery. This show has everything and that SO includes the most perfect perfect PERFECT scenery. Possibly out of every movie, Downton Abbey has my favourite scenery.

Duh, the inside settings are wayyy to gorgeous too.

Just look. Sink in it.

I could go on and on about beautiful movie settings and beautiful movie scenery, but this shall be all for today, Jeeves. Have a lovely Sunday! :-)

My 4 favourite Lark Rise to Candleford characters

Sooo. My life recently has mainly been obsessing over Lark Rise to Candleford. I won't even mention that it's my one weakness, because I've said that many times before, so t'would be vastly unoriginal to repeat it again. But yes, I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT.

So here's a Lark Rise-themed post then. :-)

Please bear that I haven't watched series 3 or 4 yet, so I am unaware of the new characters in there. I might put Daniel Parish on my list in the end, but I don't know yet. I might well though - I've seen pictures of the lad, and I've heard a lot about him. He does sound... em, look, rather nice (*giggle*). But for now, I have enough to choose from as it is.

~.1.~

Dorcas Lane

DORCAS LANE IS THE BEST. Yes, she cannot help but stick her nose into other people's businesses. Yes, she likes a bit of gossip. Yes, she can be very stubborn. Yes, she's disastrously curious. BUT I LOVE HER. She reminds me a bit of myself actually, I suddenly realise. I pry in other people's affairs constantly, I DISASTROUSLY curious, and yes, I do like a bit of gossip, I shan't lie. And I can be very stubborn if I set my mind on it, too.

I love Dorcas Lane. She's so kind. She's so wise and good and so good at solving problems. And then she's also such great fun - hilarious, with all her 'one weaknesses.' And I love how she admits her flaws. Gah, I WANT TO GO AND WORK AT HER POST-OFFICE. I want her to boss me around so badly. :-P

Dorcas Lane makes me want to be a single woman for the rest of my life, frankly. If I don't find my Mr Knightley, I shall happily go in my life as a second Dorcas Lane, and proud of it, too. :-) She's so my favourite character. :-)

~.2.~

Minnie

Minnie LET ME HUG YOU.

First of all, if you don't like Minnie, explain that to me. I must know HOW it is possible, because I don't think it's humanly possible. She's just ADORABLE AND SWEET AND FUNNY. She's so innocent and while everything's her fault you can never really blame her and be angry with her. (Although sometimes you do need to tell her to go out of your sight. Especially when she's talking to you about your love life. (She does this often.))

Minnie is not the cleverest of people, but she's so SWEET and ADORABLE and funny and... she makes us all laugh. I love how she's so taken away by romance. 'Oh, ma'am, I've seen Laura's Ma and Pa kissin' on the road.' or when she said the following to Dorcas lane, a blushing smile on her face: 'I like watching Laura and Fisher together. And Thomas and Mrs Ellison. And you and -' 'Out of my sight, Minnie!'

I love this character. :-) (#bestcharacterever)

~.3.~

Alf Arless

First of all. HIS SMILE. It's the best Period Drama smile ever, I think. THOSE DIMPLES. I wish I could find a picture of his broad smile, but all the ones I found were horribly small ones of no good quality whatsoever.

Alf Arless is such a good nice lad. He's very kind. Such a good sort. I love that he's good-looking, but then a different kind of handsome. I love that he's the parental figure in his family while he's the brother. I love his relationship with his mother. I JUST LOVE HIM. :-)

And he and Minnie together... just too adorable for words asdfghjkl!!!! (No, I haven't actually seen it yet, but I've watched all the fan videos on Youtube, so there. Also, I've viewed pictures and I'm officially melted.)

~.4.~

Caroline Arless

I know, I know. She's a very controversial character. And yes, she has her faults - faults that I don't relate to, I'm happy to say. (I don't drink. Well, I do. But not her kind of drinks.) But she's so much fun!! She totally steals the show in every scene she's in. And I miss her now she's gone! I hope hope hope she comes back. (Does she? Tell me, people-who've-seen-all-of-Lark-Rise.)

You can really see that this character means well. She loves her kids, she loves her neighbours. And also, she's SO HILARIOUS ADMIT IT.

Who's your favourite Lark Rise character?

Tell me, and we can talk.

Before I leave, please watch this video I made of clumsy Period Drama people having accidents. It's only 50 seconds, so you can't do wrong. Plus, I'm rather pleased with it. And also, I'm going to keep on forcing my Period Drama videos on my blog before I have some more Youtube suscribers. (So, I'm going to do The Annoying Thing and ask you to suscribe. Here. Thanks. Have a hug and some pizza. :-D)

And now, without futher ado, have a lovely day. Or night. Or whatever you're about to plunge into.

Fake Trailers

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen (never forget the gentlemen.) The last few days I have started to make Period Drama fan videos, thanks to my lovely sister who said it was something typical me. (She was right, I love making these.) I like to call them Fake trailers. I've made four already, and I must say my little self is rather prodigiously proud of them.

Please grant me your honest opinions. I know I have a lot to learn yet, so do give me some advice (seriously, I can handle brutal facts.) (And a big thank you to Hamlette for telling me how to put up Youtube video's in a larger size!)

Well, what do you think? Which is your favourite? (I am the proudest of 'Testament of Youth's fake trailer, I flatter myself.) If you'd like to see more of these in the future, make sure to pop over to my Youtube channel now and then.

Have a lovely day! <3

A reason or fifty why I LOVE Lark Rise to Candleford. It's my one weakness. (Currently, anyway.)

I'M IN A HUGE LARK RISE MOOD.

Just saying. You know, so you know. I want you to know major things going on in my life, you see. I really do consider you as my confidantes.

Here, let me make a list and tell you WHY I'm very fond of Lark Rise to Candleford at the moment. (I'm also making this list so that those of you who haven't seen it yet, will get that terrible burning want to do so. Sorry, we all have mean sides to us.)

1. It's like revisiting friends.

We saw the first series a year ago, and now we're plunging into season two. And it makes me so freaking happy. It's the kind of aww-remember-that-aww-these-are-my-friends happy. I seriously almost cried when I heard that intro music again and laughed at the good old Mrs Arless and aww-ed over Alfie (yes, I totally think he's a lovely boy) and plain loved Dorcas Lane for more reasons than just because she's acted by Julia Sawalha.

This show is GOLD. It's my friend.

2. There are so many characters.

It's like a more family friendly, kind of warm-mug-cosy-messy Downton Abbey. Downton Abbey is superb, glistering, sparkling, posh and fine, and Lark Rise to Candleford (otherwise simply shortened to Lark Rise) is kind of messy, a-bit-kind-of-vulgar-ish-like and more kind of cosy. But both these shows have the many characters in common, and I just love shows with tons of characters.

Lark Rise has a lot of characters, but not so much that you loose track. And everyone has very specific characteristics and looks, so it's pretty easy to keep track of who's who. Which is good, y'know.

What I love about shows with a lot of characters is that everyone has their favourite. Everyone loves to pick. My favourite is Dorcas Lane. I just love that lady. I would totally go and work at her post-office; we'd have such fun, swooning over our weaknesses together. But then I also love Alfie and oh, Mrs Arless, she's maybe my favourite, because she's so hilarious and jolly and stupid. Oh, I just can't HELP but love her. :-)

Dorcas Lane is just the best. She has a lot of me in her. Or vice versa, whatever you like.

3. None of the characters are perfect

That's what I love about Lark Rise. All the characters are clearly imperfect and have flaws. None of them is utterly sweet or utterly beautiful. It's so nice, you know, sometimes, to have this show with all different kinds of people, people of shapes and sizes and all kinds of characters with realistic imperfections.

For instance, the main character (or is she the main one? Because I can't tell), Laura Timmins, is nice and all, but she's rather naive and stubborn and kind of ohh-I-know-I-know-ish. She annoys me a bit now and then (also because she says 'Mar' and 'Par' instead of 'Ma' and 'Pa', and it just drives me crazy), but it's actually really nice to have a heroine like that.

4. It's funny

Sink me, my siblings and I have giggled a lot. My mum made me not-hear three sentences Laura spoke, because she was laughing so about something hilariously out-spoken Mrs Arless popped out in that adorable accent of hers, with her red curls bouncing on her shoulders.

There's stuff like Dorcas Lane's famous hundreds of 'one weaknesses' and Thomas' snicker-worthy way of talking, and the snobbery of the sisters Pratt. And the Mrs Arless, who, I DO beg your pardon and you MUST admit, is, despite her vulgarity and drinking-fondness, is unfairingly hilarious and totally steals the show.

5. It's pretty family friendly

There are some things I could do less of, but in the whole we watch this with the whole family. (That is to say, so far - remember, children, we're only just starting season number two.) I can remember there were some stuff in season one, when my mum was like, 'This isn't GOOD, okay?' now and then, to remind my younger siblings, but I can't remember anything major going on. (You know, not like Downton Abbey, which I think is strictly twelve or thirteen up.)

Also, the show has quite a lot of children, which is very nice. I love children.

6. There's bits for everyone.

These series should attract a lot of people. The Romantic people (aka, the majority of us girls) get bits of romance, the comedy-loving people get the comedy, the people-who-want-action get some good plots and the people who like movies with 'real issues' (such as wealth, classes and all that rot) get that addressed very nicely.

And the people who are searching for quotes, get what they want, too.

Really, one can't complain.

I can't wait for Minnie! I've heard so many people say she's a great favourite character.

7. The settings.

The title explains the main idea of these series. It's about two villages - Lark Rise, a 'poor' village, and Candleford, the more well-off village with a post-office and a fashion shop and ladies with hats and all that.

And the villages are so beautiful. It's like Cranford - you want to go and move to those villages. So badly. What I also like is that you kind of recognise the streets and the houses as you watch more. It's like, oh yes, that house, we're in Candleford. And so on. Aww, I just love it.

8. The costumes

There ARE some very silly hats - mainly referring to Laura's ghastly upside-down-egg-basket-hat she wears far too often in Season one (see a picture here if you're up to it) - but, as if usually the case in Period Dramas, there are some adorable outfits. Very Victorian, with corsets and slight bustles. I love Dorcas Lane's wardrobe - all the mauves and purples - and some of Laura's dresses are very covet-able, too. 

I also really loved Lady Adelade's clothes (the character, not so much. She can't smile.). She wore some beautiful lace tops and swooping skirts. Absolutely gorgeous, oh yes, I approve most strongly. (Also, HER HATS WERE JUST AMAZING.)

The Pratt sister's colour-coordinated outfits are absolutely snort-worthily ridiculous, but very refreshing, I suppose. Make me grin, which is a good thing.

9. The theme song.

It's the kind of theme song that you RECOGNISE and go 'Ohh, it's LARK RISE!' when you hear it. And then you think of corn and hens and pages flipping over as the actors names are listed. (Oh, people who've seen this know precisely what I'm waffling on about. You do, don't you.)

10. It goes on and on and on

Hours of pleasure! 

How many seasons does this show have? Remind me. Four, I think. So yeah, that's a lot of episodes, a lot of hours. So if you start it and like it (or no, LOVE it) you're in good luck. (Also, just saying, it gets better as it goes on. You have to get to know the characters to fully appreciate them. So get to know them, will you? They aren't waiting (because, duhh, they're fictional), but still. Watch it.)

Just to remind you that Dorcas Lane is AWESOME

Granted, there ARE things about this series which I don't completely love (such as the whole ghost-plot in Season Two's Christmassy special we're in the middle of) but I just freaking love it. Seriously, it makes me so happy.

And now that I've written the post, I leave you to comment with your Lark Rise to Candleford thoughts. :-)

I love you, dear people. Thank you everlastingly much for wasting your precious time on my blog posts. It means a lot, and that's an understatement. Seriously, if I had cake, I would give it to you. (Well, a little bit, anyway. I WOULD keep some for me.)

Thoughts on Lark Rise?!! I need to talk about this with someone right now. :-)